My Dark Secret Admirer
by Beautiful and Pale
Summary: A Young teenaged girl's life is changed forever when a handsom young vampire Kiddnapped her for love! And she doesn't even know him!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! For all of you that have already read this story, I've edited all of the chapters. I only changed a few things, mainly trying to make everything run a little more smoothly. You can read them if you want. And to all of you that are new to this story, pay no attention to this authors note. :D**

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Wednesday night. The night of the talent show. It was supposed to be last Friday, but school was closed early due to bad weather. I was excited, as I had never been in my entire life. I had been preparing myself for my performance for quite some time now. I'd been taking this show quite seriously ever since I decided to sing, "Think Of Me" from The Phantom of the Opera. I had fallen madly in love with this story and its music. Singing this for other people meant a great deal to me and, in my eyes one of my greatest honors.

I was just about ready for my turn on stage. I was wearing an ivory gown that flowed with every step I took. My brunette hair hung in curls that encircled my face. The last little touch was some black eyeliner that brought out her brown eyes and red lip-gloss. I felt awkward. Normally I'm such a plain girl! I looked around the dressing room and sighed. It had a counter on one side of the room, with a half wall length mirror directly above it. The only part I liked about it was the bulbs that bordered the wall length mirror. It made it look like a movie stars dressing room.

Just then, one of the performers of the first act entered the dressing room.

"Kelly, You look great!" cried out Lizzy.

"Thanks! You're not looking too shabby yourself." I had known Lizzy from a few classes in school but didn't really become friends with her until the talent show.

"I am so excited! I can't wait to sing! I didn't think that I would be able to contain my excitement much longer.

"I am too, but I'm still nervous"

"Don't be. I know that you will do great."

I knew she would be but it wouldn't help her if she was nervous! I was glad through that she didn't try to make my talk anymore than I had to. I wanted to save my voice and plus, I'm not all that good at conversations. Looking away from her I let my mind begin to wander. Hopefully it would keep my excitement under control. Then I suddenly realized that my friend Belinda was singing now!

I immediately got up and ran through the door to the back stage entrance. Lizzy came rushing up behind me, looking a little worried. " Is something wrong?" she asked her face now slightly flushed.

" I simply wanted to listen in on Belinda before her song was over." We had a just made it in enough time to hear the last part of her song. As we listened, Joey came up behind Lizzy, startling her.

" Hey, guys" was all he said. Lizzy turned to face him and started chatting to him about something. I wasn't paying much attention to them now. I was about to turn around myself when the door suddenly opened, barely missing my face! One of the adults running the show poked her head out.

" Ms. Parker you're almost up. Go find Peter now." Before I could answer a deep voice spoke up behind me.

"I'm already here."

I turned around suddenly, hoping that I wouldn't look too surprised. He chuckled. I guess I did look surprised. Though, not because he had startled me, but by the way he was dressed. He had on a simple white loose shirt and black dress pants, but he had managed to pull off the "phantom" look so well it caught me off guard. I was so lucky he was generous, though. He had volunteered to be my "phantom" for me. If he hadn't, I would have one part of my song that had background noise, but I couldn't sing yet. I would have had to stand there for a whole verse doing nothing.

"Well, you two need to get in here now. You're turn is just about up." The lady in the stage had made me loose my train of thought. She held the door open for me as peter and I walked in.

It took my eyes awhile to adjust to how dark it was backstage. It would only be about a minute more wait. I began to fidget. The nerves I had suppressed back in the dressing room had made their way to the surface again. Peter must have noticed this for he came over to me and gave me a reassuring pat on the back. " You'll do great. I know it."

"Thanks." I mumbled. I didn't mean for my voice to sound so scared. I looked over at the main lady running this. She gave me a wave, signaling for me to get on center stage. Well, I didn't need to be told twice. With a brisk step I quickly made my way onto the stage. The curtain was still down but not for long. No sooner had I made it to my position that the curtains suddenly sprang to life, rising as high as they could go. The light streamed down on my face. Then, still with butterfly's I heard my music begin.

I knew the words by heart. Even if I had started to daydream I would sing the right words out of habit. I sang the first two verses with a normal, medium volume. I was saving all my passion for the last note, right before my big scene. Thankfully, I hit it without it going sour. Finally, we had gotten to my favorite part of the song. I took two steps back and waited for him to make his move. He had been paying attention. As soon as he say me step back he lurked out onto the stage, his eye's fixed on me. The crowd had a surprised reaction that I barely noticed. I looked over to him, still excited even though I was acting.

Still lurking, he began to go around me, never taking his eyes off of me. I couldn't help it but it did make my heart beat faster as I followed him with my head. When he was to my other side, I kept my head turned to where he was a moment before, as if he was still there. He then softly took my chin and turned me to face him. His hand was warm as if he was excited as I was. Our eyes met and seemed to lock, never breaking his gaze even as he quickly presented me with a rose.

It was beautiful! The bud was of a deep red color, Almost as deep as blood would be. And as I had expected the black ribbon was securely tied around the firm stem. I quietly took the rose and held it to my chest. His green eye's never leaving my sight, he gently took my hand and began to lead me off stage.

When we had almost made it to the edge, I froze, took a glance behind me and quickly took my hand back, running to the mic. With an expression on my face that would imply having mixed emotions, I finished singing. And taking a quick bow, I walked off the stage, my heart still beating hastily.

I had never had that much fun in years. Usually just being on stage in front of anyone at all gave me Goosebumps. But tonight seemed extra special, as if what I just did wasn't enough of an adrenaline rush. I made my way to the dressing room but it took awhile. Lizzy, Belinda, and Joey were all in front of me. "You were great!" " That was simply amazing!" and " You were really good!" was all I could here from them for about the next five minutes. I don't mind some praise when I had such a good time but this was starting to annoy me. I had to change my clothes and get ready to go home. Lizzy was right after me. She was the last act so I wouldn't get a lot of time to change.

Finally I was able to break away from them. I quickly changed back into a black t-shirt and Jeans, hoping I would be able to catch the end of Lizzy's performance. Not looking as to where I was going I bolted out the door only to run straight into Peter.

"Oh Peter, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. I tried to sound as sincere as I could. He saved my performance. The least I could do was be polite.

"No harm done. You were really something out there. First the singing and then the acting! I was worried that the crowd would end up thinking you really were Christine."

" That was what I was aiming for, but thanks. You did really well too." He smiled sheepishly.

" So, will I see you at lunch tomorrow?" He seemed somewhat nervous again.

" I don't see why not. See you tomorrow then." He waved bye and walked away.

About ten minutes later I had found my mother. She wouldn't stop praising me. I found it to be a little embarrassing. After she had bragged about me to every person that she knew there we were finally going home. I was ready to just collapse into bed. She held the door open for me as she tossed some ideas about my future career into the conversation.

" You could try to be an actress. You seem to have a natural ability."

" That sounds like fun but the only career I want right now is one that involves me sleeping." I mumbled.

She simply giggled. I was beginning to get impatient. I began walking ahead of her to reach the car. She began to talk again but was cut short as she shrieked. I swiftly turned around to she my mother lying on the ground. I rushed to her side, thinking that she had tripped. But before I could reach her I felt a firm, strong hand on my shoulder.

My heart raced as I gasped. The hand spun me fiercely around with such strength it didn't seem human. I opened my mouth to scream but before I could the attacker tossed some strange, black powder into my face. It made the world around me begin to spin. I was quickly becoming disoriented and dizzy. Then, just as I had feared, I could feel my feet come out from under me. I was trying so hard just to shriek, but was loosing consciousness!

My mind was racing, even though now everything was black. If my head hit the concrete this hard, I was likely to split my head open! But just as my last little bit of consciousness lingered, I felt a pair of strong, firm arms wrap around me. Then, I blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2:Kidnapped!

I slowly opened my eyes. Something seemed different, when all of a sudden I remembered all that had happened earlier. But, how far in the past did that happen? Where was I now? And who attacked me? These questions kept buzzing around my head as I looked around at my new surroundings.

It was dark, but there was a fireplace with a fire blazing in its hearth. The flame seemed to dance as the shadows around the room flickered. It was so cold. The floor seemed like ice. It was as hard as stone but it had a fabric feel to it. I must have been on an old piece of carpet. I flexed my back a little but something seemed to resist my movement. It scared me. My eyesight immediately cleared up. My eyes shot upward and I stared into a young boy's face.

He was resting my head on his lap, supporting my shoulders with his hands. I gasped and shot up.

" I'm sorry. Did I frighten you?"

I couldn't speak. I just couldn't stop looking at him. He had shoulder-length black hair that seemed blue in the light. He was smiling at me. It seemed friendly but concerned at the same time. But his eyes are what fascinated me the most. They were a deep shade of blue, but they seemed to glow, as husky dogs eyes might.

" Don't worry. I won't hurt you."

He stood and walked over to me, offering his hand. When I didn't move (I was still in a state of shock) he bent down and grabbed my hand, lifting me to my feet.

" There now, see? You can still stand"

I then suddenly broke out of my stupor. I wasn't scared or even shocked anymore. I was angry and confused.

" Where am I? Who are you?" I screamed. He simply smiled and said " Calm down. You don't have to yell." Well, that remark only irritated me more.

" And why not? You're the one who kidnapped me!" He chuckled at the raise of anger in my tone.

" True, but if I meant to hurt you I would have done so already." He sat down on a dusty, black leather sofa. He patted the spot next to him, ushering me to sit down. I sighed. He did have a point. So I walked over, joining him on the sofa.

"Will you please just tell me who you are? I tried to put a note of pleading into my question, hoping it would help.

" Eddie Howl. And you're name is Kelly Parker." Now that shocked me.

"How do you know my name? Have you been watching me?" I hoped that he wouldn't hear the trace of fear that was in my voice."

"Actually Bright Eyes, I have."

" What! How? And why did you just call me Bright Eyes?"

"In the shadows. You're darker than most girls at your school so, you tend to stay in the shadows more. You're like a sitting duck." He smiled as he said this. It seems he was really excited about something, but I wasn't sure what.

He seemed to ignore my second question. But that didn't really matter right now. He had been stalking me! How long had he kept this up? And how would he be able to? If he had watched me at school, he would have had to be a student there. But I didn't recognize him. But that left only one other option. I hardly ever went out anywhere. I mostly spent all of my time in my room, with the lights off with my laptop. And how would staying in the shadows help him stalk me? All these questions swirled around in my head, but just the thought of having a stalker made goosebumps cover my arms. Quickly I tried to hide these thoughts with a much more pressing question.

" You still haven't told me why you kidnapped me in the first place."

"Couldn't we call it sweeping you off your feet?"

"You knocked me out with a powder, and you pushed my mother to the ground. That seems a little rough to me. And why would you want to call it that?"

" The same reason I kidnapped you. Can't you tell what it is?"

" umm, somewhat…" I was beginning to see a pattern in the answers he gave me. But if really was for what I think it was, I wanted him to say it. He took a deep breath and sighed. What he said next would change my life forever. Permanently.


	3. Chapter 3:Confessions

"Kelly, I've been watching you for quite some time. It all started when I saw you at your 8th grade spring concert. At first I just thought you were a girl that was very naturally beautiful. But you had me when you sang your solo. And, ever since then I have been silently watching you. Every night I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, your voice still fresh in my mind. Don't you get what I'm saying? I love you! I love you with all my heart Kelly Parker!"

I was speechless. I truly did not know what to say. It's not everyday that a boy you just met confesses his undying love for you. All I could do was sit there and stare at him. He was matching my gaze with his own.

Those two glowing blue eyes seemed to penetrate me, deeper and deeper into my mind. Gently, he picked up my hands and held them as if he would never let them go again. I feared that he never would. He broke our gaze as he turned to look out the window at the moon. Or at least that was what I thought he was doing until I realized it was the night of the new moon. It was a cloudy night, so the stars were hidden as well. The sky was completely dark. He stared out at the black sky but said

" Kelly, its late. You've had a tiring day. You should get some sleep. We can continue this tomorrow."

He rose and led me to another room, which had a canopy bed in the center. The canopy was made of black lace, which reached the floor and encircled the bed. He walked me over to the side of the bed and sat down, with me following his lead.

"Lay down." He instructed.

I obeyed instantly. I didn't realize how tired I was until my head hit the pillow. It was softer than silk. All the pillows and the comforter were made out of black silk. It felt so heavenly on all of my aches. I felt the bed move as he leaned over closer to where my head was.

"Goodnight Bright Eyes. Sleep well. I shall see you at dusk."

He smiled and brushed my cheek with the backside of his hand. It was cold, but that didn't bother me. He rose, and walked through the door, closing it as he went. I looked around the room.

There was an open window, where the black lace curtain was blowing from the incoming breeze. I thought "this could be my chance to escape! I mean, what was I doing here? Sleeping in a strange place with a boy, right across the hall from me, who is supposedly in love with me! I had made up my mind on what to do as soon as I got outside when I heard something coming through the wall. At first I couldn't figure out what it was, but then I recognized the tune. It was "Music Of The Night" from "The Phantom Of The Opera". But it wasn't the same phantom voice that I was used to. It was somehow different, still beautiful, but all that more alluring and soothing.

" It must be him…" I thought. I knew that if I was going to make my move now would be the time, but my eye's began to fall. They became heavier, and heavier. I couldn't stop it. Everything went dark. The last thing I remember was the sound of his voice, alluring and soft.


	4. Chapter 4: Dusk Awakenigs

**To make things easier to understand, anything that is in italic means that she is thinking it. **

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I woke with a start. Surprisingly I had been sleeping well, until a loud howl outside my window startled me. I picked myself up and cautiously made my way over to the window. I was higher up than I'd realized. There was forest surrounding every inch of yard I could see. The sun was that pinkish color, indicating that evening was about to give way to night. Down on the ground, about two stories beneath the window, I saw what had awakened me. Two, fearsome but beautiful wolves stood there, staring up at me. One was pure black with blazing green eyes. The other had flowing silver fur and the same glowing blue eyes that I had saw on Eddie.

Wait! Where was Eddie now? I haven't seen him since he left my room. I rushed away from the window and headed towards the door. I grabbed the handle and pulled… but it was locked! After testing it a few more times, to be sure I wasn't mistaken, I slowly walked back to the side of the bed. This was beginning to worry me. What if he didn't come back? I would be trapped. The jump from the window would kill me and I would never be able to break through the door. My head fell into my hands with a sigh. I would simply have to trust that he would come.

-Clink-

"Huh?" I picked my head up as soon as I heard the sound of a key entering the door. It swung open swiftly, as he stood in the doorway. I was still unsure about what to think of him, but I had to admit. He was pretty handsome. He wore a pair of black jeans and a plain black tanktop, revealing snow-white skin. His hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail that hung limply down his back. He smiled.

"Hello Bright Eyes. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I did. And is that my new nickname or something?"

"Yeah, I like it. Now come on, I'd like to show you something."

He held out his hand to me. I just kinda sat there. I was still unsure about what to think of him. When he saw that I wasn't going to take his hand, he came over and took my hand. It was cold, just like when he touched my cheek last night. He led me down the hallway and past many closed doors. But before I could stop and ask about them he took me down a flight of spiral stairs. He jumped the bottom stair, making me trip.

"Sorry"

"Why the rush?"

"They don't like to be kept waiting."

"Who?"

"You'll see…"

Who was he talking about? I had no idea. But he seemed to be really excited. It was hard to keep up with him as he picked up his pace. Suddenly he stopped at a wooden door that seemed old but sturdy. He turned around to face me, with one of his hands on the handle and the other holding my hand.

"Bright Eyes, I have a present for you."

"What for? It's not my birthday or anything."

"I just wanted to give you something special. I know you'll like them. There one of your favorite animals."

"Wha… Ahh!"

He opened the door and stepped out of the way as the two wolfs I saw earlier bounded in and pinned me to the ground, licking joyfully at my face.

"Who…hey…Who are these two?"

"They're wolf siblings that I've raised since they were puppies. A hunter killed their mother, so I took them in. The black one is Shadow and the silver one is Starlight."

At this time I had managed to get to my feet, although the two wolfs kept jumping with excitement where they stood.

"But, why are you giving them to me? If you raised them, don't you care about them?"

"Of course I care about them. But I care about you more. If I'm not around they will be there to protect you. In case anything happens."

"That's sweet" It was the first thought that had come to my mind. I was touched by his thoughtfulness though.

"Would you like to take a walk outside? I'm sure Shadow and Starlight are dying to run around."

He smiled and walked out the door. He had been acting very gentlemanly lately, and I did want to go outside, so I followed him. No sooner had we stepped outside that Shadow and Starlight ran through our legs and started to play fight. He pointed to a trail on his right that led to a garden.

I decided that I could at least give the guy a chance. He didn't seem too bad. And acting like a stubborn brat and hiding in my room would get me nowhere. For either way, as I could see in his eyes, he wasn't going to let me go anytime soon. Might as well get on his good side.

As we walked through the garden I got to know him better. He seemed like a really sweet guy. We were more alike than I had realized. We were both major "Phantom Of The Opera" fanatics, for one thing. And we also loved singing, acting, wolfs and the dark.

As the night went on I felt compelled to open up to him. I told him all of my sorrows, all of my hopes and dreams. I just couldn't hold anything back. I guess that I just needed someone to listen to me.

I was worried that I might be annoying him, but he simply smiled and understood everything that I said. Just that simple act of understanding what I felt and not deeming them as stupid made me feel better than ever before. In return he spoke of what he felt. He was vague when he spoke, but I could tell he was insecure about being accepted.

"_That's understandable. I've felt it many times over."_

When we had made it to the center of the garden (It was huge!) he led me to a stone bench and sat down. He held my hand but said nothing. It was awkward, and I didn't really know what to think, but I took the moment to look at my surroundings. The mansion we came out of looked old, for it had many plant vines climbing up its side. The horizon was blocked everywhere by a dense forest. It was all very beautiful against what little rosy sky was still visible. My attention found its way back to him. Surprisingly, I found that he had been staring at me as I gazed at the scenery.

"Bright Eyes, tell me. What do you think of me? Of this place? I….. I just need to know what your thinking."

That caught me off guard. I had to stop and think for a moment. He still stared at me with the same intensity as before.

"Well, first of all, I love this place. This place just seems so mysterious and magical. It's like a dream."

"And what about me?"

"I don't know. I've gotten to know you better and we do have a lot in common. You seem pretty cool. But I know now that you would never hurt me."

"But, do you remember when I told you I loved you?"

"Yeah. It's not all that easy to forget something like that."

"Did you believe me?"

"What?"

"It's true. I do love you."

I didn't know what to say. All I could do was stare at his beautiful, glowing blue eyes. He kept his eyes on me as he put one of his hands on the back of my neck. Before I could do anything or protest in any way, he pulled the back of my head towards him and pressed his lips softly to mine.


	5. Chapter 5: Discovery and Questions

My eyelids closed involuntarily. I couldn't have stopped him. And in the back of my mind, I don't think I wanted to. But the fact that I kinda enjoyed it scared me a little, and the wave of electricity that spread through me was unfamiliar and startling. Why did I feel like that? I'd hardly known him for more than a day! He pulled his head back from mine. I could feel him gazing at me, even though I kept my eyes closed.

"Now do you believe me?"

Quickly, I opened my eyes. But what I saw nothing could prepare me for. There were two, pearly white canine fangs poking through his smile!

I gasped. His eyes had also turned into slits, like a cat. He must have seen the fear in my face. His smile disappeared as he pressed one of his hands to his mouth, feeling the teeth there. He turned away from me and hissed, pulling the teeth back inside.

I didn't wait to hear what he said next. My mind had gone blank, but my body just acted on it's own.

I ran.

Not even taking a glance back, I got up from the bench and ran as fast as I could. But I didn't go back to the house. I went to the only place where I could find solitude, which was what I needed. The woods.

I don't know if he was following me or not. Not like I could tell though. I was making enough noise running over leaves and leaping over fallen tree limbs to make someone think that ten people were coming.

Only when my legs refused to move any farther and my lungs screamed for rest did I stop. I found a rather large tree with a hollow center to stop and take a rest in. It was a nice fit when I climbed in there. There were roots hanging down over the entrance, giving me an even greater sense of privacy.

I let my body calm down first before I went back over what just happened. Half of me was excited. It was my very first kiss! I was normally a reserved person, not talking much, and so I never really got close to any guys. And the fact that he kissed me was in itself exhilarating. But then reality had to hit me and ruin my moment.

He was a vampire. I had been quite fond of reading stories of them during most of my free time, and so I knew well what they were and how they lived. The image of those two fangs came back into my head and made me tremble. It wasn't that I was afraid of vampires. In fact I had often hoped I would meet one, if they were out there, and learn better on how they lived. What made me afraid was the thought of "what if he's using me? What if he's just acting like he loves me to get a nice dinner?"

These thoughts swirled around in my head. I didn't want to believe them. But no matter what I did I couldn't dismiss them from my mind.

I pulled my legs to my chest and tucked my arms under them, in an effort to keep warm. Everything may have been warming up with the arrival of spring, but it was still the middle of the night, and all the warmth the sun gave during the day was gone. I shivered and rocked myself back and forth. Only when the cold started to get to me did my mind acknowledge the fact that running into some woods I didn't know in the middle of the night was not such a smart idea. I considered the option of getting up and trying to get back to the house. But I'd have a better chance of freezing, and I could just get myself lost even further into the woods. I eventually decided to stay put until morning and then try to get out of these woods.

There wasn't much to do while waiting for the sun to rise. I watched the moonlight shine down into the hole. It was very beautiful. Just the stillness of it made me watch in awe. That was a topic that my mother and I never could agree on. While I thought that the moonlight and anything else that had to do with the night was beautiful, she thought it was ugly and boring. I never could understand how she couldn't see the simple beauty of it. I let my mind begin to wander, in an effort to pass the time. My thoughts had somehow made their way back Eddie. I wondered what he was doing now…

-snap-

My head shot up faster than a cobra strike. I had heard a twig snap somewhere close by. My ears were tuned into any noise that came. "It's nothing but a rabbit or something…" my mind tried to reassure myself.

-Snap-

That time it was more distinct. And I could also follow where the sounds went.

-crunch, crunch, SNAP, crunch.

My mind was telling my body to get up and take my chances in running. But my body had gone ridged and ignored any plea my mind made to it.

I could hear the noises, which sounded awfully like footsteps, going around the side of the tree I was hiding in. but then they stopped.

My breathing was slow and ragged. I tried to make as little noise as possible.

I could make out the shadow of a man in the moonlight. "Who was he? And what did he want?"

But then his head bent down and peered into the hole, staring straight back at me.

"Well, what do we have here?" he smiled and reached his hand in and grabbed me by the arm. He was so strong! Even my feeble attempts at resisting were futile!

He pulled me out and lifted me up, making me stand and basking me in the moonlight. I could see that he was not much older than me. He had messy, red spiked hair. He had green eyes that seemed to shine just like Eddie's did. He had on a white t-shirt and tan jacket, with tan pants to match it.

His grip on my arm still held firm. I tried to break free of his grasp again, but that simply made him laugh and tighten his grip.

"Well, aren't you a pretty one? I'm lucky to have you all to myself. He smiled devilishly, which made me cringe in fear. My fear worsened when I watched his eyes turn to slits and fangs come down out of his mouth.

I screamed as hard as was humanly possible. For it could very well be my last. He placed his free hand over my mouth, silencing my last attempt for help.

"Hush now gorgeous, it will all be over soon." I could feel his breath make its way down to my neck, where it lingered. I couldn't think of anything other than "get it over with already!" As if sensing what my thoughts were he chuckled and hissed, ready for the final blow.

"**LET HER GO MATT!!"**

The strange boys head immediately shot up and stared at the other figure that stood in the moonlight.

Eddie was fuming with rage. You could just feel it coming off him as if it was something you could cut with a knife. His eyes were slits and his fangs were bared, ready for an attack.

"What is it Eddie? Can't you see I'm about to have supper?"

"She is NOT going to be your dinner. Now step away from her immediately. I won't give you another chance."

"What's wrong with you? It's not as if you own her. I found her here in the woods. What, did you save her for a special occasion and she got away from you? Oh well, that's your problem. Finders keepers, losers weepers."

He bent his head back down again, meaning to finish this. I could feel just a slight poke at where one of Matt's fangs was waiting to press down harder. But then they were suddenly pulled away. He still tried to keep a grip on my arm as he was flung across the clearing, but failed to do so. He did manage, however, to cut me pretty severely with his nails.

"Ahh!"

I fell to the ground, clutching my arm and trying to halt the bleeding. I could see two figures leaping back and fighting, savagely attacking each other. I couldn't tell which figure was Eddie and which was Matt, for they were out of the moonlight. But then, two growls coming from behind me caught my attention. I didn't even have time to move before Shadow and Starlight were by my sides, hair up and bristled while they growled at the fighting figures. One of the figures was brutally flung back into the moonlight, hitting a tree with a deadening CRACK! But surprisingly, he managed to stand up. A wave of relief swept through my body when I saw that it was Matt who was thrown against the tree.

"I don't know what you problem is Eddie, but I can assure you that the council will hear about this." Having said that and knowing he was defeated, he turned around and swiftly ran back deeper into the woods.

The wolfs had ceased their growling, and had turned their attention back to me. They sat on either side of me, in an attempt to keep me warm. But my arm just wouldn't stop bleeding! At this rate, I would die of blood loss by morning!

Eddie had walked back into the moonlight, and rushed to my side. I could only stare at him. His clothes were ruined and shredded to ribbons, but there wasn't a single cut I could see. But my mind quickly returned to the more pressing matter of my arm. Eddie's eyes instantly reverted to my wounded arm. He knelt by me and pulled my sleeve off, revealing the extent of the cuts. There were three, very deep slashes going across the top of my arm, covered in blood. They should have been very painful, but they weren't. I must have been pumped up with so much adrenaline that I couldn't feel it. He lightly touched on of the cuts, before he bent his head down and licked all three cuts. I was a little unsettled by this, but as soon as he pulled his head away, the bleeding stopped. I could hardly believe my eyes!

Eddie turned his attention back on me again and sighed in relief. But then his face gave a more serious expression. Without saying a word, he put one of his arms around my back and the other under my knees, and lifted me as if I weighed no more than a feather. I was too tired to protest. He headed off into the woods again, with the wolves following him at the heel.

By the time we had gotten back to the mansion, I could just begin to see faint rays of sunlight coming up from the horizon. I guessed that there was only about 30 more minutes until morning. Eddie carried me up to my bedroom and laid me down onto my bed. He didn't leave my side but turned and signaled Starlight. She immediately knew what he wanted and left the room, only to return shortly with bandages.

"Thanks, Starlight."

His attention shifted back to me.

"Here Kelly, this ought to help." I lifted my arm for him as he bandaged it quite nicely.

"Now Bright Eyes, go to sleep. You need to rest."

He got up and motioned to leave the room, but stopped and came back to my side.

He sighed. "Bright Eyes, I was so afraid that I was going to loose you."

I could see the amount of fear that was in his eyes. I couldn't help but begin to feel guilty. It was my fault any of this happened anyway! I was the stupid one who ran into the woods alone at night. But I decided that I would beat myself up about that later.

Then, in an attempt to quell some of his fear, he bent down and kissed my forehead. And this time when he got up to leave, he only stopped to tell the wolves to stay by my side. Then he turned around and closed the door. I knew that I was locked in again when I heard the sound of a key moving in the lock on the door. But this time I wasn't even going to try and escape. I was more than happy to go to sleep. And as shadow closed the blind (these were two very intelligent wolves) and jumped up and laid on my legs while Starlight curled up by my side, I whispered into the air, even though I knew he wouldn't hear me.

"Goodnight Eddie."

And though I could never be sure, I thought that I could just hear something faintly, almost like a sound on the wind.

"Sweet Dreams, Bright Eyes"


	6. Chapter 6: Upsetting News

There was a soft light on me when I opened my eyes again. Even though the curtains were closed, the room still seemed to have a pinkish tint to it. I guess it must be early evening. I looked down at the bed and saw the two wolves sleeping peacefully. It was relaxing just to look at them. There faces were so serene. One wouldn't be able to believe that those two faces could easily become snarls, fully equipped with a set of razor sharp fangs, as they had proven last night.

I sat straight up when my memory of the previous night came rushing back to me. I must have sat up to quickly, for both Shadow and Starlight picked their heads up and looked at me with curious eyes. To assure them that nothing was wrong, I gave them a reassuring pat on the head. They seemed satisfied and jumped down off of the bed, stretching. I followed suit.

I walked over to the window and pulled the curtains apart, just in time to see the sunset. My body had gotten used to this new sleep routine. I didn't really mind it, for there was always the sunset to greet me when I would awake. But this one was one of the most beautiful. I stood there silently and watched the sun float downwards, followed by the pink and purple colors that gave it a mystic look.

I was so focused on the sunset. The room just seemed to disappear as I stared out into the sky.

"Good evening Bright Eyes"

I jumped. I hadn't realized that he had entered the room. I turned around and faced him, still looking as stunning as ever in a simple black t-shirt and pair of black jeans with combat boots.

"Hello, Eddie."

" Listen, I know that you've just been through a lot, but were going to have to go somewhere."

"When?"

"As soon as possible." He turned around and went out the door, signaling me to follow. I caught up to him as he went down the stairs.

"But, where are we going? And, why the hurry? Does it have something to do with last night?"

"Yes, it does. But were going to stop by you're house first."

"Really?!" A smile spread across my face as I realized that he had led me outside. The sunset was by far more beautiful out here than in.

"You're going to have to say goodbye to your family."

The smile slowly faded away as I waited for him to continue.

"I'm going to have to keep you longer than I expected. I had wanted you to be able to visit your family every so often, but with this trip to the council, you will never be able to see them again."

It took me a moment to process all that he had said, but as the reality of his words sunk in, I turned around, so as to hide the tears that were threatening to fall. But my efforts were useless as they spilled over. When he saw that I had begun to cry, he came over to me and put his hands on my shoulders, trying to comfort me.

"I'm sorry Bright Eyes, I truly am. But now that Matt has complained to the council, you're involved. And there is no telling how long we'll be there. But, unfortunately, it's usually a very long time. But don't worry, I'll make sure that we both get through it, okay?"

This was too hard! I did enjoy being with Eddie, as he was the only person my age that had actually taken the time to get to know me, but now I was going to have to say goodbye forever to my family? This wasn't fair! As my mind started to accept this, the facts just made me cry harder. I turned and pressed myself into Eddie's chest, sobbing. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed his face to my head. I just needed to be comforted more than anything else.

"shhhh, it'll be okay, everything will be okay, shhhh…"

We stood like that for what seemed like forever. Only until the sound of a wolf howl did we part. We both turned in the direction of the sound. Shadow and Starlight were both at the edge of the forest, staring at us, as if saying that it was time to go. Eddie turned his attention back to me.

"Well, it's time to go. Oh, and close you're eyes."

"Why do I have to…Whoa!"

Eddie had picked me up into his arms and had started running into the woods. He seemed to move at a speed that could rival a jet! Going at this speed I had understood why he told me to close my eyes.

It didn't seem to take us long to reach my house. All the way here I had been dreading this moment. I knew that at this time everyone would be going to bed, and I knew how much this was going to hurt them. They don't deserve this pain. But I also knew that this would give them some closure, if I was never able to return.

Eddie stopped at my front door and put me down. Surprisingly, I wasn't dizzy at all, especially after going at that speed.

Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the door, but paused with my hand over the doorknob. Eddie walked up behind me and gave me a reassuring pat on the back. I gave him a quick glance and opened the door.


	7. Chapter 7: Family Farewells part 1

**Hey! Sorry I took so long to update. I've just had a lot of thing I've had to take care of. Also, I'm going to Erie P.A. this Saterday, so I wont have internet acsess for about 2 weeks. (Hopefully I wont die from internet deprivation ;) Here's a quick update to reward you all for being so patient with me. And thank you all for your reviews. I can't express how much they mean to me.**

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All was quiet inside. But no matter how quiet I tried to be, the front door was old and with a resounding creek gave away our presence. A loud, shrill barking soon flooded the house as my black lab, Rosie, came bounding down through the hallway, and without stopping, jumped up to reach my face. 

I had missed her though. I'm not the type of person to show my feelings openly, mainly for fear of being told that I'm wrong for feeling that way. She was the only one I had trusted to listen to my sorrows.

A wide smile spread across my face as she continually attempted to lick my face off in frenzy. But all her excitement didn't go unnoticed.

Hearing the noise, my mother came walking out into the living room, rubbing her eye in an attempt to ward off the effects of sleep. She soon went wide-eyed when she saw Eddie and I standing in the room.

"Kelly! Oh my god! Kelly!"

She rushed over and grabbed me in her motherly embrace, pushing Rosie to the side.

"Oh, Kelly, we had thought that something terrible had happened to you. We sent the police out, but the couldn't even find a trace of where you had gone. Not even a dog could find even a sniff of your scent. It was like you had simply disappeared off the face of the earth."

Not long after my I had been reunited with my mother, my father came bounding out of the hallway. A smile of pure relief came over his face as he saw me in my mother's arms. But that soon changed when he saw Eddie standing behind me.

"Who the Hell are you? Are you the Bastard that took Kelly?"

My mother finally looked up and noticed Eddie, a frightened look plastered to her face. Her motherly instinct must have taken over as she began to pull me over to my father, and, initially, away from Eddie. Keeping a protective arm around me, she glanced up to my father, as if asking him what we should do. I didn't take him long to assert his authority, though.

"Well? Are you gonna explain yourself as to why you show up now with my daughter?"

"As I don't have much time to spare, I'm going to make a long story short. Yes, I did kidnap her, but I did it for love. And I'm also a vampire. But, unfortunately, we've gotten into trouble with another vampire, and if we all want to live, Kelly and I must go take care of this matter. A conflict within vampires, though, usually takes extremely long amounts of time to clear up. I brought Kelly here so that she could say goodbye to both of you. And I am sorry that it has come to this."

"I don't care what you are or what you think must be done, we're not letting Kelly go with you!" My father screamed at the top of his lungs at whom he deemed, an intruder.

"There is no way in Hell she's going with you!" My mother chimed in, obviously growing in anger.

I knew though, that no matter how much they protested and yelled, I would still have to go with Eddie. I just hoped that he wouldn't have to use force to do so. I looked back at my mother's face, which had the most stubborn look of defiance I had ever seen. I knew that I would have to try and calm them down, so I could at least say goodbye properly.

"Mom, he speaks the truth. That other vampire that he spoke of tried to kill me when I was lost in the woods. If it weren't for Eddie, I would be dead now. You can trust him to take care of me. And I'm not about to let you two pay with your lives for my mistake."

She stared at me with a look of disbelief.

"How can you talk like that? Do you actually believe that after loosing you once, that we would willingly loose you again?"

"Mom, you have to trust me on this one…"

"No! You are NOT leaving with this man, who is obviously insane. I mean, he thinks he's a vampire!" My father boomed at me.

Giving me no chance to respond, my father turned his attention back to Eddie, who surprisingly, stood as calm as if we were all playing chess!

"And you, she's not going with you even if the world was coming to an end. And if you as so much as come within 100 feet of her, I will not hesitate in killing you." I looked up at the look of determination on my dad's face. Even in a situation where he felt his family was threatened, he still had the courage to look the intruder in the eye and mouth off to him. I couldn't help but be proud of my dad's strength.

Eddie sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment, before looking both of my parents square in the eye.

"I am sorry that it had to come to this…."

As soon as he had spoken these words, he moved so fast that it looked as if he had disappeared. He swiftly moved over to me and took me from my mother's protective arms, moving back to where he stood a moment ago before my mother had even realized what happened.

Eddie stood firm, grasping my arm so that I stood close to him. My father figured out what had happened before my mother did. He quickly reached behind a bookcase close to him, and pulled out a cocked and loaded gun. Using all he knew about aiming, he pointed the barrel straight at Eddie's chest, and fired out a single shot.

I screamed when I saw Eddie move back and lean against the wall behind us.

"Told you I wouldn't hesitate." My father said blankly.

The shot had scared my mother, and she had fallen to the ground with her hands over her head. I immediately put my hand on one of his shoulders, looking at the mark in his shirt where the bullet had hit. His head was slumped to the side as his feet came out from under him and he slid down the wall. My mind went so frantic, and my instincts told me to try and keep him alive.

My hand went to the bullet mark, instinct once again taking control as I tried to suppress the bleeding that would naturally come with a bullet wound.


	8. Chapter 8: Family Farewells part 2

I closed my eyes, trying not to imagine how gory this scene must be. But, as I pressed my hand to his chest, something wasn't right. I should be feeling warm, wet blood, but strangely, my hand felt unusually dry. I opened my eyes only to be met by Eddie's piercing blue ones.

"I hope you realize that a bullet cannot kill a vampire. They only make us loose our balance." He smiled as he pulled himself up, still holding on to me.

My father had stopped in his tracks when he saw that Eddie had not even bled, and my mother did the same by his side.

Eddie bowed his head to both of them, and began to walk towards the door. I quickly jerked out of his grasp and ran back to my parents, the tears that I knew would come flowing down my cheeks. I ran to my mother and gave her a big hug.

"Please don't worry too much about me. I'll be fine. And know that I love you very much."

I reluctantly let go of my mother and ran to my father, hugging him with all the strength I had.

"I need you to be strong for mom and yourself. I know that the strength I got from you is going to stay with me the rest of my life. And always remember that I do love you very much." Before he would realize what was happening, I ran back to Eddie, but not before giving my dog Rosie and hug and kiss. It was my way of thanking her for all the comfort she had given me over the years.

Eddie quickly put his hand around my back, leading me out the door, where Shadow and Starlight were waiting. We walked over to them, and stopped to look back for the last time. My parents had followed us outside, and stood at the door, looking as if they didn't believe this. Knowing that this would be the last time I could speak to them, non the less see them, I quickly yelled back at them,

"Know that I love you both, and that you did a great job raising me."

I gave them as heartwarming of a smile as I could muster, seeing that I was still crying.

Eddie turned to face me, and bent down wrapping his arm under my knee. He moved in the direction that we were to travel, and whistled to Shadow and Starlight to start running. But he turned his head back to my parents before he followed them.

"Don't worry. I would move Heaven and Hell for this girl."

Having said this, he turned back to the rapidly disappearing figures of Shadow and Starlight in the distance, and began to run at his jet like speed.

My parents were in an almost shock like state as they watched the man who carried their girl in his arms disappear in an instant. My mother broke out of it first, and started to run to the point where Eddie had been standing. She fell to her knees when she reached it, sobbing hysterically. Soon my father came rushing over to her side, and placed a comforting arm around her. As strong as he was, he couldn't help but let a few of his tears fall. But he knew that there was a silver lining in this, a bittersweet point. If that man could take a bullet with that much force and simply get up a moment later without even loosing any blood, for he had used the strongest gun he owned, then he was strong enough to take care of his baby girl.

Lifting his head to the air, tears still streaming down, he whispered his blessing to them into the air.

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**Sorry this chapter was so short. If I added it to the last chapter it would have been too long. Oh, well.**


	9. Chapter 9: Rest stop

**Hey everyone! Listen, sorry that I've taken so long to update. Its been one vacation after another this month! I've gone on three different vacations that were all about a week long, in the month of July. I've had maybe, three-four days inbetween them to get ready for the next one and write. So, again I'm sorry that I took so long and didn't tell you. But now that I'm home for a while, updates should take less time. This chapter is mainly a filler chpt.**

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We had been running for song long, I began to loose track of time. The wind was whipping around my face, in a swirl of sights that would be gone in an instant. I would have asked Eddie how much longer until we reached the council, but the wind pressure kept my mouth shut. But then my head began to feel dizzy, and I realized that I should be keeping my eyes shut. 

With my eyes closed, everything seemed much more peaceful. I actually enjoyed the rhythmic sound of his feet running. But then they slowed, and eventually stopped. I opened my eyes as Eddie helped me down. We were in some woods somewhere, and there was a nice clearing ahead of us. He took my hand and led me towards the clearing.

"Eddie, what are we doing here?"

"We're simply stopping here for the day. These woods are heavy, so light won't travel down. We can both rest until tonight, when we'll finish the trip."

"Oh, okay."

It did sound like a good plan. I didn't know how long it would take us to reach the council, and a rest was sounding pretty nice. Eddie walked away from me into the thick trees, but soon came back with a few logs and began to arrange them in the center of the clearing. Once I realized what he was doing, I searched around for something that could be used for kindle. I soon found some dry moss that would work perfectly. I walked over and placed them on the logs, giving him a small smile. I enjoy being useful. It makes me feel better than having everybody doing things for me. I sat down next to it as Eddie found two sticks, and with a quick flick of his wrist, had the fire ablaze in no time.

He walked over to me and pulled out two sandwiches from one of his pockets. Suddenly, my stomach reminded me that I haven't eaten in three days. I greedily took them from him, undid the wrappers, and shoved them in my mouth. Once I was done, I heard a noise from behind me. I turned to look only to see starlight straight in my face. They had finally caught up. Starlight made herself comfortable by my side, while shadow favored Eddie's side, who sat right across from me, behind the fire.

"I'm sorry, Kelly. I forgot that humans need to eat much more than vampires do."

"That's okay. I actually didn't realize that I was hungry until you showed me the food."

He smiled when he realized that I had forgiven him.

"Uh, Eddie?"

"Yes? What is it?"

"Well, it just occurred to me, when we were at my house, shouldn't I have grabbed some of my clothes? I mean I've been wearing the same pair of jeans and T-shirt for three days now. A change of clothes would be nice."

I didn't want to seem as if I was whining, but I really was getting sick of these clothes. All the little details that I would have noticed normally had seemed unimportant earlier. Now they were all catching up to me.

"They would have been wasted. You see, the council likes to stay in one time zone. Anything after that time is forbidden from being worn there. Both our clothes are too modern, you see, and we'll have to change as soon as we get there."

"Oh. That's a little strange. What time period do they stay in?"

"The 1870's"

"The 1870's…isn't that a time of suits and gowns?" I wondered what I would do if I could only wear dresses. I was never really fond of them growing up.

"Yes…you seem to know your time era's. Would your knowledge of that era be because of a certain story your in love with?"

"Are you talking about the Phantom Of The Opera?"

"Yes, that one."

"As a matter of fact, it is. I can't believe you remembered how much I studied up on it."

"It's hard to forget something pertaining to you."

I didn't know how to answer that remark so I said nothing at all. We sat in silence for a while, while the light in the clearing began to slowly increase.

"Kelly, you should probably get some sleep. You've had a hard night and more are soon to come. You'll need all the sleep you can get."

I nodded in agreement, and snuggled up next to Starlight, who had already dozed off.

Eddie looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was quickly rising. Slowly, as to not wake up Kelly, he backed off into the trees, where no light could reach him, and Shadow quickly followed.


	10. Chapter 10: Eddie's thoughts

**Hey everone! This is kinda like a bonus chapter for you all. This is in Eddie's point of view. Mainly so you can understand a bit of what's going through his mind right now. And if something doesn't make sense, or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I just want to make sure that I'm being clear. Enjoy the chap! **

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"I've made her life so hard. Damn my instincts!" 

Eddie sat at the edge of the forest, watching Kelly's peaceful form in the sunlight. He sighed. He knew her life would have been much easier if he had never shown up. She would probably be safe at home, excelling at school, and training has hard as ever on her voice, trying to pursue her dreams. He had seriously screwed up her life.

"I shouldn't have been so selfish. I should have had more control. Oh, but I love her so much…"

He patted Shadow's head in a rhythmic, almost therapeutic manner.

He was raging a war within his mind. One was with how he could have let all this go so far out of control. The other was working on how to make her think of him as more than just a friend. Right now, the one that was beating him up was more dominant.

He began to explain everything that happened and why he did things to Shadow, although it was more his way of sorting them out and justifying his actions.

"You know Shadow, one thing that's distinctive of vampires is our instincts. They're fifty times stronger than a humans, which can be good and bad. It can save us in a dangerous situation, but it can also make us act out of character. For instance, you know when I kissed her? That wasn't my original plan. I simply wanted to talk to her, you know, to try and get on her good side. I also wanted to make sure that she understood me when I told her that I loved her. But when I saw the moonlight bounce off of her, my instincts kicked in, telling me to kiss her. The instinct was so strong, and I knew I could make her think I did it to convince her of my love, so I gave in to my instinct. Well, look what it got me. I frightened her and reveled what I truly am, she nearly gets eaten by Matt, and we both get sent to the council!" He sighed. "This will be one hell of a ride."

He paused for a moment, and looked back to Kelly's sleeping form. He smiled.

"But, she's worth it. I've never met someone quite like her. You know, I think she's an actress in everyday life. On the outside, she looks happy and content. Someone who cares for the people close to her. But it amazes me how dense people can be! Can't they see that behind her exterior, her interior is hurting immensely? Only when she was alone in her room would she let her true emotions show. She seemed so alone! She had no one that tried to understand what she was feeling. Everyone simply assumed that she was happy. At times like that all I wanted to do was hold her close and comfort her. She needed someone. And I wanted to be that someone." His eyes stayed planted to their spot on the ground, lost deep in his thoughts.

"But, you know what? I think I need her more. All my exzistence I've been surrounded by people. All of them would listen immidietly to what I'd say, but no more than that. I could have had anything I ever wanted. But, something was missing. I felt like I wasn't fully there. I started wandering the human world, trying to see if that would do anything. I'm glad I did. I ended up finding Kelly. Just being around her makes me feel happier than I have in centuries."

He paused to look back at Kelly, who still hadn't stirred, and then looked at the sky. He could tell that it was about two in the afternoon. They would leave at around six. He glanced back down at Shadow, who had fallen asleep. It didn't matter to Eddie, really, if Shadow was awake or not. He really didn't think Shadow listened anyway. He just needed someone other than himself to ramble to, mainly so he wouldn't look insane. He leaned against a nearby tree, letting his body relax into a state of sleepiness. He knew that he would need some sleep for the trip there, and for anything else the council threw his way. He let his eyes go back to Kelly for a moment, and assuring himself that she wouldn't wake up before he did, he allowed himself to fall asleep.


	11. Chapter 11: Goodbye Humanity

**Hi! Okay, I know what you're all thinking "Where the hell were you?" Well, mainly sleeping, or doing homework. But, to try and say sorry for making you guys wait two months, I give you all permission to throw sharp, pointy objects at me. flurry of objects fly through the air I hope you like this, and I will do my best to have a better update rate. Enjoy! **

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This time, when I awoke, it wasn't from the sunset. My eyes still seemed dark, but I felt someone gently moving my arm. I turned so that I was on my back, and opened my eyes to see Eddie looking down on me.

"Come, Bright Eyes, we need to get moving."

I lifted myself to a sitting position, and tried to rub the sleep from my eyes. Starlight got up, yawned and stretched, a sign that she had slept well. Getting to my feet, I glanced up at the sky. It was darker out, so I knew that it was past sunset. I turned to look back at Eddie, who was taking apart what was left of the fire. He seemed calm, but rather quiet. I wondered if there was something on his mind. Walking up to him, I placed one of my hands on his shoulders.

"Eddie, is everything alright? You're so quiet."

He turned to face me, a weak smile on his face.

"Yeah, I'm just a little worried."

"About what?"

"Just…things."

"I'll listen when you're ready to tell me."

I gave him a reassuring smile, hoping to cheer him up a bit. His smile grew bigger and seemed to be stronger as he returned the gesture. He straightened, having finished his task, and walked over towards the end of the clearing. He turned around and stuck his hand out towards me. I looked at him for a moment, and then took his hand. He put his arm around my back, but then paused. I peered into his face, as he turned his head and looked me straight in the eye.

"Kelly, I have to warn you. Not every vampire at the council is as…friendly towards humans as I am. While we're there, I want you to always stay in my sight, or with vampires I trust. I'll point them out to you, when we get there. So, even if a vampire comes up to you saying I sent them, DON'T believe them, understand? His voice took on a shrill tone, and I realized that this was what he must've truly been worried about.

"Eddie, you're the only vampire I trust. So if you say if a vampire is "good or bad" I'll trust your judgment." I smiled as I said this, and placed my hand over his, which rested on my hip.

He breathed a sigh of relief, and picked me up. Whistling over his shoulder, a silver and black blur ran past us, with us following, leaving behind everything I knew.


	12. Chapter 12: The Palace of the Vampires

We had been traveling for a few hours, it seemed. I didn't know exactly how many passed. But I was more than glad when I felt Eddie slow to a stop and set me down. I could hear the gentle roar of a waterfall in the distance. I slowly opened my eyes after having closed them for hours, and the sight, which greeted me, took my breath away. We were standing in dense foliage, but a few yards a head of us was, indeed, a magnificent waterfall. I could see Shadow and Starlight already at the waters edge, lapping it up greedily. Eddie took my hand and headed towards them. As we approached, the beauty of the waterfall was overwhelming. It towered over us, and the force of the water sent mist spraying on us. We stopped momentarily to admire this natural beauty, when Eddie started to lead me around to the side of the waterfall, where the water met the rock.

"Eddie, are we going to have to go through the water?" my voice leaked a hint of my nervousness.

"No, not exactly."

That still left me a little confused, but I didn't have time to ponder his answer when he dug his nails into the rock and scraping it, making a sound that was like nails to a chalkboard. I hated it! Immediately, I brought both of my hands to ears in an attempt to block out the sound.

Thankfully, he stopped. As I took my hands down again, the wall of rock he scraped moved, revealing a dark, hallway. Without a word, Eddie took my hand and entered, pulling me with him. No sooner had we entered did the door close behind us, plunging us into complete darkness.

I held onto Eddie's hand tightly, for I couldn't see anything. I had to trust him to lead me. We weren't in that darkness long though, for soon I could see a feint flickering light coming up ahead of us. I could soon see two torches, accompanied by two bulky men, who seemed to be standing guard.

One look at Eddie, and they immediately bowed their heads.

"Welcome back, Young Count" They answered in unison.

Swiftly, they turned and pressed their claws in five holes, one for each of their hands. Suddenly, light flooded into the hallway, as a door I did not see before opened in front of us.

I looked to Eddie, as to see what he wanted us to do next. He simply smiled, and offered me his arm in a gentlemanly way. I smiled when I realized that he was going to escort me in the old fashioned way. I placed my hand on the inside of his arm as we walked into the light.

What my eyes beheld was beyond all imaginings. It was a huge hallway, lit with dozens of brightly blazing torches, and an arched ceiling. There were elaborate decorations adorning the walls, from portraits and paintings, to a long carpet that was on the floor, which was the walkway. Its design was captivating. Deep reds, golds, and blacks swirled together in perfect harmony in the heavy fabric. A few small wooden tables and chairs stood on the sides, some plain, whereas others had small silver vases with red roses in them. Strangely though, there wasn't another soul to be seen.

That didn't last long, for as soon as we rounded a corner, the hallway had dozens of people in it, all socializing. Some chatting, others laughing, and a few arguing. I could sense Eddie quicken his pace as we walked through all of these people, who I assumed to be vampires, due to their pale skin and fine attire. I could see the ones closest to us stop talking or whatever they happened to be doing at that moment, and watch us pass them by. It unnerved me how much their gaze could frighten me, and I placed my other hand on Eddie's arm. He patted my hand with his, to show that I was fine. All I wanted was to get to wherever it was we were going to, and quick. I didn't like being stared at by so many people, human or not.

Luckily, we didn't have far to go, and before I knew it, we were in an empty hallway, at the foot of a grand staircase, with a large carpet flowing down its steps. I was so caught up in the splendor of this place; I had to remind myself to breath.

"We're in the royal halls of the castle. No one besides the royal families and chosen guests may enter here. You can release your death grip on my arm now." He said the last part in a joking tone.

I jumped when I realized how hard I had been holding onto his arm. I didn't realize they had frightened me that much.

"Oh, Eddie, I'm sorry! I didn't realize…"

"No, it's alright. I don't like dozens of people staring at me either, but for you being human, it must have been creepier for you."

I smiled back, somehow relieved that he understood how I felt just then. He seemed as if he was about to add something else, when suddenly we heard a shrill cry come from the top of the staircase.

Both our heads jerked toward the sound, and I saw a shape run down the stairs.

"EDDIE, YOUR BACK!!!"

I watched as a girl with black hair run up and hug Eddie so tight I didn't think it was possible.

"Eddie, you're back home! I've missed you so much!"

She took a step back and faced me, allowing me to take a good look at her. She had neck length black hair, and brown eyes which glowed with an amber intensity that rivaled Eddie's. She was shorter than me, but still of decent height. She wore a sleeveless black lace dress that fell to the floor, and black silk arm gloves to match it.

She looked at me for a moment, then to Eddie, then back to me again.

"Eddie, is this the girl you've told us about?"

"Yes."

He turned back to face me again.

"Kelly, this is my sister Selene." He gestured toward the girl. "Selene, this is Kelly."

"Pleased to meet you"

"How do you do?"

We exchanged polite greetings, and Selene opened her mouth to say something to me, when another voice came from the top of the stairs again.

"Selene, have you seen…OH MY GOSH EDDIE! Again, this new girl ran down the steps, but slowed down as she approached Eddie, and gave him a huge bear hug.

"Eddie, you really mustn't stay away for quite as long! Do you realize how much we've missed you?"

"About as much as I've missed you, sis?"

"More!"

She turned and stood next to Selene, and turned to look at me. Again, I used this to see what she looked like. Unlike Selene, she had dirty blond hair, which was angled toward the back, and glowing green eyes. She was slightly taller than Selene, but not as tall as me. She wore a short sleeved green silk dress that fell to the floor, but had a small v-shaped incision at the bottom, which showed her green slippers.

She looked at me with a curious expression on her face.

"Who is this?"

Eddie quickly did introductions.

" Roseline, this is Kelly. Kelly, this is Roseline, my second sister.

I smiled, becoming more comfortable with the situation with each passing second.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And you."

I instantly liked them. Their eyes didn't creep me out like the vampires in the hallways did. Theirs seemed friendly, and welcoming.

I felt as if I should say something, but luckily, Selene broke the silence for me.

"You do realize that you can't wear clothes like that here, or did Eddie not tell you?"

My cheeks flushed as I realized what I must look like. Uncombed hair, a messy black t-shirt and dirt stained pants. I must've looked like a beggar to them! I could feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment. But Eddie already knew how to handle this situation.

"Selene, I'm sure you would have few pieces of proper attire that she could borrow?" He smiled at the outcome he knew he provoked.

"Do I?! Come on, I've got the perfect outfits for you to try on!"

"And I've got a few accessories that you might like."

They both interlocked their arms with mine and started walking down a nearby hallway. I quickly shot a glance back at Eddie. He nodded his head, saying to go. I turned back and observed this new hallway, while trying to make sense of Selene's flurry of words. She talked a mile a minute!


	13. Chapter 13: Reporting to Father

**I won't do too many chapters where it's in Eddie's point of view, but I just felt like this was needed.**

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(Eddie's pov)

I watched my sisters take a rather overwhelmed Kelly down the east wing. They get so excited sometimes, they can go a little overboard. But I knew they would treat her as if she was their own sister. They didn't act like hunger-crazed monsters, unlike some of the vampires here. Running a hand through my hair, I turned and went down the west hallway, directly across from the east. I walked slowly through the hallway, knowing it would be awhile for them to agree on a dress. It wasn't long before I saw a figure moving up ahead, coming towards me. My spirits lifted when I saw whom it was.

"Eddie! Man, you've been gone for ages! Do you know how boring it is here? I've had to do everything by myself, while you get to be out, having fun ogling a human girl."

"I wasn't ogling her, Malikai."

"Then you stalked her."

"I wouldn't call it stalking."

"Dude, you were obsessed with her. She never left your sight. Sounds like stalking to me." He crossed his arms, a smile of victory across his face.

"Well…that is...Shut up!"

"Haha!" He punched me in my shoulder, which made me hit him back. He may have won the argument, but I won the battle. He cringed back at the sting of my punch.

"Ow! Not so hard!" We laughed at our own childish play. Ever since he was changed, he was the closest thing I could call a friend. He was the royal messenger, the only vampire that could enter the royal halls without permission.

"So, what are you doing?" He was only allowed in here if it was news related.

"Word travels fast around here. I was alerting the Counts to your arrival. You know, this case has been the only thing people talk about. Especially since the human in question is now here. Are you sure she's worth all this trouble? I mean, you could just find another human. There are plenty of them to choose from."

That irritated me. How dare he think that I could just replace her? I already went looking for a human, and I found her. She was one of a kind. But I knew he was just worried for my sake, so I tried to hide my irritation. Unfortunately, some of it leaked through.

"Of course she's worth it! I wouldn't have even stopped Mark from feeding from her if she wasn't. She's different, somehow, from the others. Wait until you meet her. Then you'll be able to see for yourself. Now, I've got to see my father. Talk to you later."

"Yeah. And good luck man. You'll need it."

"Thanks." I mumbled as I walked past him. I was not looking forward to reporting to father. But hopefully, I wouldn't have to see Count Van along the way. Mark was just like his father, only younger. Both are bloodthirsty and conniving; willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want.

I continued down the hall, dreading every step that took me closer to where my father was waiting.

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**I was thinking about writing a chapter on what Eddie says when he reports to his father, but it didn't seem to flow right. So, just think that Eddie simply told him everything that has happened in the earlier chapters, kay!**


	14. Chapter 14: A New Look

(Kelly's pov)

"These dresses would look GREAT on you. Or maybe…"

Selene put the dresses she had taken out of her wardrobe and placed them on the bed next to me, quickly rushing back for more. Roseline stood with her back to me, rummaging through her jewelry box, which sat on a vanity. I sat still on the four-poster canopy bed, rubbing the soft black fabric between my fingers. A small smile spread across my face at how much fun they were having. We had only been in the room thirty minutes and they had already washed all the dirt out of my hair, given me some clean clothes to wear while they looked, and burned my old clothes in the fireplace. I would miss my jeans.

While I sat there waiting for them to find something else they wanted me to try on, my mind began to wander, bringing up questions I had missed. I turned toward Roseline, trying to find the right words.

"Uh, Roseline?"

She turned around to face me, ten different necklaces hanging from her fingers.

"Yes?"

"Is the trial today?" I spoke with uncertainty in my voice. I was worried.

"No. It's tomorrow." She sighed and turned back to the jewelry box, fumbling with rings now. She could tell it was a bit of a touchy subject. Even though she didn't look at me, she continued on.

"Tonight, you have to meet the rest of the royal families."

"Can you explain? The rest of the royal families?"

"Yes. There are two royal families who rule over all the vampires. The  
Howls and the Tepes. Count Van, and his wife Elizabeth are the head of the Howls. Count Lucifer and his wife Larissa are the head of the Tepes. Eddie, Selene and I are Van and Elizabeth's children. Mark is the sole child of Lucifer and Larissa. So, then…" she didn't have time to continue before I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.

"Wait, Mark is royalty?!"

"Yes, so this trail is a dispute between the heirs of the two families. That's why it is so gossiped about. This is the first time that the two families have both fought over the same human. They're excited to see what the outcome is."

I took all this new information in slowly. Nodding my head to show I understood, I took up staring at the floor. As realization sunk in, there was a tense atmosphere between us. Neither one of us could bring ourselves to speak and break the tension. Fortunately for us, we didn't have to. Selene came out of the wardrobe with but a single dress, giddy with excitement.

"Forget those others for now, I've found the PERFECT dress for tonight!"

Both our eyes locked on to the dress that was held tightly between Selene's arms. I could tell it was a dark red, but I couldn't see the design. She quickly put it down on the back of a nearby chair. She ran to me and pushed me into the small changing room. I looked at myself in the 360-degree mirrors. But I was the only one there. I turned and looked at Selene, then back to the mirror. She didn't have a reflection. So, some of the rumors about vampires were true. She quickly got down to business, voicing her presence.

"First, you need a corset."

"A CORSET?!"

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't you?"

I suddenly realized that a corset was mandatory for woman of this time period. How could I have forgotten? I didn't have the chance to protest, though, before one was wrapped around me and in the process of being tied up. I gasped as the first string was pulled.

"That's tight!"

"You'll get used to it."

I tried not to gasp too many times as she worked her way through the strings. I was so relieved when she finally tied the last one.

"There, finished"

"Are you sure it's not a torture device in disguise?"

"Very funny."

I tried to laugh at her tone, but breath was nowhere in my lungs. I would have to get used to breathing in my chest. Selene quickly turned and ran out of the room. I took this chance to get my breathing under control. Luckily, when she came running back into the room with the dress and a pair of heels, I could keep it at a regular pace. Maybe it wouldn't be too hard to get used to.

"Now, the dress." With a swish of fabric the garment was placed on me before I could even blink. She quickly readjusted a few places, fitting them around the corset. I simply stood there staring at myself. The dress was beautiful! It was a deep red, with black lace around the v-neck cut. The sleeves draped down and tied themselves from my elbows, around my arms, to my wrists with black ribbon. There was a long, black sash that wrapped around my waist and fluttered down to the ground, flowing with my dress. Carefully I bent down and placed the heels on my feet. They were a simple plain red that had black ribbon tying up the top. I slowly stepped out of the room, and let Roseline take a look at me.

"Well Selene, I think you actually outdid yourself."

"I know! I didn't think I had anything like this!"

"Well, it's my turn." She smiled and turned to the jewelry box, motioning to me to sit in the chair in front of the vanity. She turned the mirror so that it was facing me. I think it was out of courtesy so that I could see what she was doing.

"First, your hair."

I sat as still as I could while she pulled and curled, brushed and straightened. She took so long that my mind began to wander, and I didn't even see the reflection in front of me. I was broken out of my stupor by her voice, which barley controlled her excitement.

"There, that should do it."

I focused on my reflection, and I gasped at what I saw. My hair was shimmering in the candlelight, which lit the room. It hung in gentle ringlets down my back. I delicately placed one of my hands on the top of my head. I don't know what they used when the washed it, but my hair felt as soft as silk. Roseline must have seen the rising wonderment in my face for she added,

"We're not done here yet." She smiled as she turned and picked up a few items from the box. I held my breath in anticipation.

"First, some simple ruby stud earrings." She took out the silver studs I had been wearing and placed the rubies in my ears.

"Next, the grand finally." With a knowing look to her eyes, she wrapped and tied around my neck a black silk ribbon that held a single, oval ruby hanging down from the center.

"Oh, wow….It's beautiful…" I could barely find the right words to describe how much I was in awe. I stood up out of my chair and turned around, trying to look at myself from every angle. Selene was jumping with excitement.

"Ahhh! You look amazing!"

"Yes, much better than before."

I blushed again at the thought of what I looked like before this transformation. I quickly ran over and gave both of them a huge hug, trying to show them how thankful I was.

"Thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am. I've never felt this beautiful before. How could I ever repay you?"

"Well, you let us dress you for every occasion. I really enjoyed giving you a makeover!" Selene eagerly chimed in.

"I'm not a doll!"

"Plleeaassee?" She drew it out in a long, sing-song voice.

"Oh, alright."

"YESSS!" she jumped up as she said this. She really did enjoy it.

But then Roseline took on serious expression.

"Just promise me that you won't break our brother's heart. Before he met you, it was damn near impossible to make him smile or laugh. You being in his life has had more of an impact on him than you know. I don't want him to go back to the way he was before. So promise me. I don't want to see what he'll be like if he looses you."

I was a little taken back by this sudden change, but quickly recovered, nodded my head in response.

"I promise." Whether I admitted it to anyone or not, just from the small amount of time I'd known him, I could feel myself quickly falling for him.

She sighed in relief and gave me a hug of her own.

"_She must've worried about her brother a lot." _I thought.

She motioned toward the door and we all excited the room. We made small chit-chat as we worked our way back down the hallway. We stopped when we were back at the bottom of the staircase. Roseline had already started up the right side staircase.

"You stay here and wait for Eddie. We'll see you later." Selene whispered to me. Roseline stopped and turned around briefly.

"Don't worry, as long as you are in these halls, no vampire will harm you."

She smiled reassuringly and started back up the stairs. Selene waved bye before following her sister. They both had soon disappeared around the corner at the top. I was left alone to wait by the banister.


	15. Chapter 15: A Revolting Encounter

How many minutes had passed, I couldn't tell. I stood by that banister forever, waiting. As boring as that was, it gave me some quite time to think. I definitely liked Eddie's sisters. They were so welcoming and friendly! So different from the feelings I got from the vampires in the hall near the entrance. I wondered what his parents must be like. Common sense says that if they raised their children to act the way they do, then they must be like that as well. I quickly cast aside any doubts I had about them. But I couldn't shake the worry I had about Mark and his family. By the way Mark acts, then are his parents like that too? The idea didn't help with my fears. I leaned up against the side of the banister, with my arms crossed over my chest, trying to let my mind wander. But suddenly a small bit of information I didn't realize before hit me; Mark was royal. _He would be allowed in the royal halls! _I jumped up, feeling unsafe now. I clutched the banister, trying to regain my composure. I heard a low voice chuckle behind me. His voice sent chills down my spine.

"You've finally made it. I've been waiting."

I spun around, only to come face to face with the one person whom I hated most of all. Mark stood up a few steps above me. He had on a navy blue suit that clashed with his glowing green eyes. I kept my ground as I tried to make my voice sound steady and unaffected.

"Speak of the devil…"

"So you were thinking of me then?"

"No! Why would I be thinking about someone like you?"

"You know, you've been the only thing I've thought about these past few days."

"Oh, I'm SO flattered." I took great joy in hearing my voice dripping with sarcasm, although it seemed to have no effect on him

"You should be."

"I thought you would be thinking about how Eddie kicked your ass!"

"Actually, I'm glad Eddie beat me in that duel."

"You…you are?"

"Yes. You see, it's given me time to think. I'm now at the age where a bride will be needed. A Countess for when I'm Count, so to speak." He paused for a moment, as I waited for him to continue.

"I can choose any human I desire. But I don't want some common nobody. I want someone beautiful, talented, and well known. To sum it up, you. Even if you still despise me by the end of the trial, when I've won you, you won't have a choice in the matter. By loosing that duel, you've become much more useful to me than just a meal. It's as simple as that."

I stood there, frozen to that spot on the ground. I only thought death awaited me if the trial ended up in his favor. Nothing like what he had planned. At that prospect, death would seem like a welcomed embrace compared to spending an eternity as Mark's bride.

I couldn't speak, couldn't move. The shock of it all numbed me to his presence. I hadn't realized that he had made his way around me until I felt his hands on the sides of my shoulders. I flinched from his touch, but his grip was firm. My body instantly began to struggle against him, but he simply chuckled. I felt his breath on the back of my neck, and a stiff wave of nausea flooded me when he began to kiss my neck. I wanted to vomit as he quickened his pace. My struggling increased, desperately trying to free myself from his grasp. I could swear that I felt him smile against my neck at my resistance.

"You'll get used to this soon enough…"

His breathing came in rough, ragged breaths that made bile rise up in my throat. But a plan was formulating in my mind; risky, but worth it to get him to stop. I swallowed hard, and took a death breath as I braced myself to do what I had to do.

"I think sooner is too late." I turned around slowly, so that I was facing him. He still had his arms on my shoulders, but paused for a moment to see that I really was offering myself to him.

"That's more like it…" He continued to kiss my neck, but with much more force than before. I waited a moment, making sure that he was too distracted with my neck to notice what I was doing. Slowly I moved my knee, and with all my strength pored into this one move, I kicked him forcefully where it would hurt the most. He released his grip on my shoulders and fell to the ground, rolling in agony. So, that trick still worked on them. I would have to make a mental note of that.

He rolled over so that we faced each other, and he stared at me with eyes so full of hate and anger, they looked like the eyes of the devil himself.

I backed away, the thrill of having gotten him to stop coursing through me.

"You…conniving little vixen!" He sputtered through gritted teeth.

"I've been told I'm a very good actress. What do you think?" My tone voiced what my mind was thinking. _"I will NOT give in to you. Not now, not ever!"_

"Kelly!"

I turned to see Eddie running out of the other hallway toward me. He had changed into a black suit, which was simple yet elegant at the same time. Quickly, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders protectively. With me still in his arms, he faced Mark with a look of pure loathing in his eyes.

"Mark! What did you do to her?"

"I kissed…her neck! What are you…gonna do about it?" He still had to take a breath in between words. I must've hit him harder than I thought.

"You WHAT?!" He tried to lunge at Mark, but I held him back, trying to avoid another fight.

"She has spunk though, I'll give her that." At this time he was standing up, although he still winced in pain. He walked toward the stairs, and slowly took a few steps up. He turned and shot both of us a look of death, but most of it was directed at me.

"I WILL teach you to mind your place! Make no mistake about THAT!" He turned back around and walked up the rest of the stairway and around the corner. My eyes followed his trail, until I felt Eddie turning my head back to face him.

"Are you okay? He didn't nick you, did he?" He tilted my head toward the side as he checked my neck.

"No, thank goodness." My eyes remained downcast, as he made sure I was all right. Suddenly, I felt him press my head to his chest, and wrap his other arm around my back as he held me close.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think Mark would get to the stairs before I did. I should have been faster." I wrapped my arms around his back, glad to be in his arms.

"You didn't know Mark would do that. It's not your fault, so please don't blame yourself."

"I promise, I will never let him do anything like that ever again. I will always protect you." I sighed into his chest. He protected me so fiercely already. Even the way he held me was protective, as if I would be taken away or broken at any moment. I felt comforted by this but guilty at the same time. I was just a normal girl, and he was a vampire prince! I didn't deserve his protection. We held each other like that in silence for a minute or two, until Eddie gently pushed me away.

"Kelly, tonight you'll be meeting my family. And Marks as well. I assume Roseline or Selene already explained it to you?"

"Roseline did."

"Good. Stay by my side at all times though. I trust my family, but the Tepes, I wouldn't in my right mind leave you alone with them."

"Okay. Eddie, do you think you're parents will like me?"

He stared straight into my eyes as he grabbed hold of my left hand.

"They will adore you. I'm certain of it." He smiled as he said this, and I couldn't help but be reassured by his words. He nodded his head toward the stairs and held out his arm. I took it without hesitation, and we started up the stairs.

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**Thank you all for being patient with me! I have a tendancy to loose track of time. And, as always, any tips or constuctive critisism is greatly appriciated and welcomed! **


	16. Chapter 16: Meet the Parents

**Hello! Look, I'm sorry, but I did it again. I was overdue on my update. Feel free to yell at me, if you want. Anyway, I truly did try to make this chapter as long as it could be. Call it my way of trying to make it up. Also, I got many requests asking for a little more romance between our main characters. Now, I'm new at writing like that, so I gave it my best shot. If you hate it, or if you like it, please tell me. I really would like to know how I did on that. Constructive critisism and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Trust me, they really do help. I won't make any promises on my next update, due to many musical performances and the holidays coming up, and I may not be any quicker than before. Please enjoy! **

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I noticed as we walked down the upper hallway that the lights seemed to dim. There were fewer and fewer candles in the candelabras down the hallways. But the little illumination that there was, cast shadows to crawl up the walls. They would flicker and dance with every movement of the flames. We walked in complete silence. I didn't mind this though. I never felt the need to cover silence up with mindless chatter. We stopped outside a large, oak door that seemed to be at least nine feet in height. The handles were golden, and swirled in an elegant manner. Eddie grasped the handle, and with a twist of the wrist, the door swung open. 

We stepped in slowly, taking prolonged steps. The room we had entered was a large den, with a huge, elaborately designed marble fireplace with a roaring fire in the center. Bookcases lined the walls, huge volumes stacked on their shelves. There was a wooden desk on one side, with a quill and paper s sent on top, ready for writing. Large armchairs were set around the fireplace, four on each side, with their backs to the door. There were two huge portraits that huge above the fireplace. I could tell that they were portraits of the Tepes and the Howls. Although I couldn't see their exact faces in the portraits due to the angle of light from the fire, but I could see five figures in one, and three in the other. I would have to take a closer look at them later.

As the door closed behind us, four heads popped up from the chairs, and moved around them to look at us. I recognized Eddie's parents first. They smiled at our sight. I highly doubted that the Tepes would be smiling at all so I assumed that these two were Eddie's parents. He did resemble them, after all. His mother had short, black hair that barely reached the end of her neck. It was easy to see whom Selene and Eddie got their hair color from. She had a heart shaped face with a warm smile, and glowing amber eyes that held no malice. She wore a modest navy blue dress, but it was stitched in such a way that one could tell that it was made for royalty.

The man that stood beside her, stood with an air of regality and authority that it was impossible to mistake him for a commoner. He had long, golden hair, much like Roseline's, that was tied into a ponytail with a black ribbon that hung down his back. But his eyes were the feature that stood out the most. They were the same icy blue as Eddie's, but they held traces of wisdom in them. Unlike the sparks of youth I could see in Eddie's. He wore a black suit that had designs sewn into it in gold, with a gold cloak with designs swirled in black on it. Both of them emitted a sense of friendliness and hospitality, which made me feel right at home.

The other side of the room, however, sent chills down my spine. Mark's mom had long, red hair that caught the light from the fireplace, making it shimmer. Her green eyes seemed to shine like Emeralds. Her dress looked as if it was made specifically to accent her beauty. It was made with Egyptian cotton, which flowed down to the floor, and dyed a pale green. It had a slit on both sides, and the stitching was done so that it would show and increase her bust. In other words, she was breathtakingly beautiful, but she looked more like a mistress than a bride.

The man whose arm she hung on was in no way friendly looking. He had pitch-black hair, which was pulled back away from his face. His suit was nothing other than black, with a few details sewn on in a pale black thread. It showed little contrast. His cloak was the same. But his eyes were what unnerved me. They were a deep, piercing red. Although he had no facial expression, those eyes of his looked so evil. Even if he smiled it would seem as if it was the smile of the devil, with those eyes.

"Well, finally I get to meet the young lady who's captured my son's heart."

All eyes seemed to be on me, although mine were on Eddie's father. He walked up to me and bowed respectfully.

"I'm Count Van." He held out his hand toward his wife, and pulled her towards me when she had taken his hand.

"And this is my bride, Elizabeth." She smiled and gave me a motherly hug.

"Kelly, you're a very beautiful young woman. I can see that Eddie knows a jewel when he sees one."

"Thank you, but how did you know my name? I've never met either of you before."

"Eddie must have spoken your name enough times that I would start to mistake you as my own daughter!"

"Mother!"

I laughed. It was the first time that I had actually seen Eddie embarrassed. It was cute.

"She's beautiful, yes, but a simple human non the less."

The warm, almost family moment we had seemed to share was broken when a commanding, yet sinister voice echoed around the room and made itself known. We all turn to see that the other two Royals had gotten up and made their way right behind Count Van and Elizabeth.

I could tell that the Howls didn't want to move out of their way, but out of courtesy they did.

The Tepes walked right up to Eddie and I. They just looked at me for a moment. I felt as if I was being examined for a contest.

"She's certainly a looker, don't you think?" Mark's mom said with a sneer.

"Yes…" Mark's father grasped my chin with his thumb and tilt my head to the side, still inspecting me. I could hear Eddie growling softly next to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that the Howls didn't like Mark's father inspecting me as if I was an animal at auction, either.

Count Van spoke up, trying to break this uncomfortable tension that had formed.

"Kelly, this is Count Lucifer and Countess Larissa. Mark's parents"

"Nice to meet you…" It took all the composure I possessed not to stutter in front of them. I gently moved my chin from his grasp and stepped closer to Eddie's side. Larissa step to Lucifer's side and placed her hands on his shoulder, as if she was cling-on. Her whore-like movements were really starting to annoy me. Lucifer still stared at me, and I grew agitated with every passing moment under his gaze. When he spoke, I nearly jumped at his voice. I think he was purposefully trying to intimidate me. And, unfortunately, it was working.

"At least my son has a good taste in women. By this time tomorrow, you'll make a fine bride for Mark."

Eddie finally snapped. He couldn't hold his tongue any longer.

"And what makes you think that Mark will win the trail? Mark doesn't even deserve her! He wouldn't treat her right!"

"What do you mean "doesn't deserve her"? He has just as much of a shot to obtain her as you do, and she's be treated like any other bride, like a countess. What's so wrong with that? And, what makes you think that you'd treat her any better? You have no more to offer her than Mark does. What makes you any different than he?"

"I LOVE HER! ALL OF HER! HE ONLY DESIRES HER BODY! THAT'S REASON ENOUGH!"

"What?" Lucifer began to chuckle deep in his throat. At first it was inaudible, but soon it rose in volume until the sound was reverberating off the walls.

"You're telling me, that you love her…is this right?"

Before anyone could have perceived that he would move, he had me by my throat and held me off of my feet, against the wall.

"Vampires hunger for, and lust for humans. They are food, and possible mates. Nothing more. They are to be used to sustain us, or keep the bloodline going. Nothing more."

Eddie had lunged at Lucifer as soon as he felt my grip leave his arm. This was a foolish, but endearing action. He wasn't fully-grown. Besides being centuries older and a count, Lucifer was an adult, and much stronger and quicker than Eddie. He stuck out his hand and wrapped him in and unbreakable headlock. He placed our heads close to each other.

"If I were to kill her right now, in front of you, her death would have no impact on the human world, or our own. There are plenty to choose from. You may pine for her, but you would soon move on and choose another. Vampires don't love humans. We use them."

Count Van, as soon as he saw his son in a headlock, came over and flung Lucifer against the other wall, dropping both of us. Elizabeth and Larissa were already at their husband sides, hissing madly at each other. It was much more spine-chilling than any snake could have made. Count Van glanced at us, and shouted an easy command to follow.

"Eddie! Take Kelly and go to your sleeping quarters. Stay there until it is time tomorrow at dusk to prepare for the trail. I'll handle the Tepes's temper here. Now go. Hurry!"

Eddie nodded his understanding. He rushed over to me and picked me up as he always had before. We were rushing through the halls so quickly that the decorations adorning the walls were a blur. I didn't even try to tell which way we were going. I simply let Eddie take me there.

We had soon made it into a medium sized room. I assumed that it was Eddie's from what his father had said. It had black wallpaper with a dark blue border. It had black, suede fainting couch on one side. There were many books stacked around the couch. It looks like Eddie had been doing some reading. There was a large, dark wood desk on the opposite side, which had so many papers all over it's surface in many, attempted piles. I thought that if you nudged the desk, all the papers would come tumbling to the floor, they were so loose looking. Not far from the couch was an easel, with many large, sketchbooks on the floor around it. Numerous pencils, and different shading tools were scattered on them. I'd have to take a look at his drawings later. A light breeze fluttered in from a window. The only way I knew there was one were the black curtains fluttering on the wall, above what had caught my attention the most. It was a large, black coffin right in the center of the room. It had a silver handle, with a silver lining around the edge of the lid.

I took a few, cautious steps closer to the coffin. I touched the top of it, running my hand along the polished wood. It had what looked like to be a crest on the top. Many swirling lines surrounded a bat with its wings outstretched. I thought it was a fitting crest for a vampire family.

Eddie walked up behind me, and I turned to face him.

"This is your room, isn't it?"

"Yes. This place is my sanctuary. The doorway is hidden from every other vampire here. Even my father doesn't know where it is."

"Oh." I yawned. I realized that I had had a tiring night. I needed sleep badly.

"Eddie, will I be sleeping on the couch?"

"No. You'll be sharing the coffin with me. That doesn't bother you, does it?"

"No, not really."

"Good. There is a room over there where you can changed into a nightgown." He pointed to a door in a corner.

I stepped in, and after many tries, I finally got the dress and corset off. I placed them down across the back of a chair, and picked up the nightgown. It was floor length, with sleeves that hung and swung from my wrists. It was made of cotton, and was a cream color. I slipped it on and walked out back into the main room.

Eddie was sitting on the couch, seemingly waiting for me. He had slipped into a pair of black cotton pants, and a matching, oversized t-shirt. I knew that it didn't match the time, but he must have snuck it in. He got up swiftly when he saw that I had changed.

I stepped out of the way as Eddie came up and opened the coffin lid. The inside looked very comfortable. It was lined with black satin. Even the inside of the lid was fabricated. There was one, black satin pillow at the head. It looked large enough to fit two heads. Eddie stepped in and half bent down into it. He was on the side where the lid meets the rest of the coffin. He held his hand out to me, trying to help me in. I took his hand, and put one foot in. I bent down as I went to lift the other one in. But my foot caught the edge of the coffin, and I fell in. And right on top of Eddie, no less.

He had tried to catch me, but gravity had pulled me down. So he had his hands on my waist. Our foreheads were touching, with a shocked "What just happened" look to our eyes. The coffin lid quickly closed overtop of us, leaving us in darkness.

I don't know what possessed me to do so, but I had an overwhelming urge to kiss him. This feeling was so foreign and new, that before I knew what I was doing, I had moved my lips down to meet his. I almost immediately pulled my head back when I realized what I was doing. It wasn't my normal nature to be that forward and outgoing.

We stared at each other for a split second, before Eddie closed the space between us. Our lips moved together in unison. I was new at this, so I let instinct take over. Eddie had moved to where he was above me. His hand was on the back of my neck and hip, pulling me closer. I had wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, and ran my fingers through his hair..

Waves of an indescribable feeling and heat coursed through me at his touch. I had never felt anything like it. Whatever this feeling, this passion was, it was undeniably a wonderful sensation. His lips were soft against mine. Yet, I could still feel a desire inside of him that was much more ferocious.

He bit my lower lip lightly. Even though I knew he meant it to be gentle, his teeth were still sharp, and it hurt slightly. I gasped at this, and he took the opportunity. His tongue completely dominated my mouth, exploring every inch. My mind was overwhelmed with an array of new feelings and sensations.

He pulled away for a moment, resting his forehead on top of mine. I could feel his hot huffs of breath on my face. He didn't stop for long though. He brought his lips back down, kissed my lips once, and decided my chin and neck needed attention too. He starts to kiss his way down my chin to my neck, where he caressed it with his lips and tongue.

When Mark had done this same thing, I was filled with nausea and disgust. If I hadn't needed to get away, I would have thrown up right then and there. But when Eddie did this, the same movement suddenly became loving and intimate. I loved how he touched me with affection, but also with a passion I had never once known before.

His hand had moved from my waist, and under my nightgown to my stomach, and began to caress it as well. His hand was so warm and soft. I loved the feel of it on my stomach. But his lips held my attention more. His speed began to increase rapidly as he nuzzled and kissed my neck. I knew that he was giving me a hicky. I didn't care though. It was a small price to pay in exchange for this passion.

I put my arms on his back and pulled him to me. I rubbed his back, in an effort to give him a sense of the feelings he was giving me, but I was sure he was enjoying himself already. I lost my mind in this sea of feelings, and I reveled in it. But then, something hard and sharp began to graze my neck. I felt tiny pinpricks on the side of my neck. I remembered that feeling. It was when, in the woods, Mark was about to bite me. I suddenly realized that it was Eddie's fangs that had grazed my neck. I tensed as I felt the pinpricks press slightly harder, but they were suddenly gone, along with Eddie's arms around me.

He had flipped himself off of me and turned, keeping his back to me.

"Eddie! Back then…"

"I almost lost it. I'm sorry."

I pulled him around so that he was facing me.

"Eddie, don't feel sorry for yourself. You're a vampire. It's natural for you to want to bite me. I am a human, after all."

"Yeah, but…"

"No buts! I won't let you blame yourself for what you are."

"You're not upset with me?"

"Upset? Of course not! Even if that hadn't happened, I couldn't be mad at you for wanting to bite me. As I said, it's natural for you."

He smiled. Even though we were surrounded in darkness, I could see a flash of pearly whites against the dark. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around his back. We held each other like that on our sides for a while. Suddenly he moved his head and gave me a loving kiss on the forehead, as a husband would kiss his wife. He laid his head down next to the top of my head, so that my face was tucked into the crook of his neck. He gave me a tight hug and then settled into a comfortable state.

"I love you Kelly. I always have, and I always will"

I hesitated before I answered. I knew I had feelings for him, but I wasn't sure if it was love. Suddenly, I remembered a piece of advice my mother told me when I was little.

"_Kelly, to tell if you're in love, try to imagine your life without the certain someone. If you couldn't picture a life without him, that you would feel as if you lost half of yourself, that you weren't complete, then it's love. Trust me, you'll know it if it's true"_

I tried to picture a life without Eddie in it. But just the idea of it sent a pang of pain to my heart. I knew then. That jolt of pain from a mere thought convinced me. I answered truthfully and confidently.

"I love you too."

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**PS. Even though I don't respond to a review unless it has a question or if they request me to, but I do read every single one.**

And to **VampFangs1001: Sorry I told you I'd update last weekend, but my mom decided that there were other events that needed my time. So, I didn' mean to mislead you. Things just came up unexpectantly that I had to attend to. Sorry! At least it wasn't too long of a wait from that!**

**Happy Thanksgiving everybody! **


	17. Chapter 17: Let the Trial Begin

**Hi! Well, the holidays were busy for me. I was in a usical which sold out for all six performances, during two weekends.(not to mention he endless dress rehearsals. Those lasted forever.) Anyway, I had planned to update this before Christmas, as a presant, but guess what shold happen except my flash drive gets stolen. (forty bucks gone. Wonderful) It had this chapter on it, so I had to retype everything from memory as best as I could, re-edit it, the works. Anyway, here it is. I'm no good with deadlines, but I'm doing my best. I hope you enjoy this! As always, constructive critisism is welcomed. I'm always open to ways to make this better!**

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It took me a moment to remember where I was. My eyes had opened slowly, and all I could see was complete darkness. I could hear Eddie's slow breathing. With every exhale, the top of my hair would move and ruffle. He still had his arms wrapped around me, holding me in a tight embrace. I sat there in the darkness, and silence except for the sounds of our breathing. I had never felt so at ease, so at peace before. I loved just being here in his arms. I placed my head closer on top of his chest. 

"You're early to rise"

I looked up to his face, and saw him looking into my eyes with a loving gaze. He smiled and kissed my forehead. I, in return, have him a huge bear hug.

"How did you sleep Eddie?"

"Better then I've ever before. Come on, we'd better get moving"

He pushed open the coffin lid. A soft glow was emitting from the window, but the rest of the room was still as shadowed as before. I grasped the edge and hoisted myself up and out.

He followed, but stayed away from the window above the coffin. I walked over to it and pulled the curtains apart. The sky was an explosion of purples, pinks, oranges, and reds as I caught the last few seconds of the evening sun. A strange sensation of dread came over me as I saw the sun dip below the horizon and the sky began to darken. But it quickly left when I heard Eddie call my name.

"You're clothes have already been brought up. Hope you don't mind if Selene picked them out again."

"No, I don't mind."

I walked over to the fainting couch and picked the dress up. It was a royal blue, with a square neckline and gold embroidery. Golden pieces of ribbon laced across the stomach, which eventually merged into swirls of shimmering gold along the rest. The sleeves were form fitting up to the elbows, where they hung down with golden lace along the edges. I was about to put it on when I remembered the cost for wearing this dress. That damn corset. My eyes caught it slung over the back of the fainting couch. I grabbed it along with the dress and, with a huge huff of annoyance, walked off to the room I changed in last night. For a newbie, I actually did okay with the corset. That was until I reached a certain string that didn't want to cooperate. Albeit a little embarrassed, I opened the door a crack and tried to ask for help.

"Hey, Eddie? Do you think you could give me a hand with this?"

Eddie was standing by his desk, already in a black suit with a white collared shirt underneath. He was trying to button up the vest of the suit when I called him. He looked up away from his task, and chuckled.

"Every woman I've ever met that has had to wear those things has had trouble putting them on. Glad I don't have to wear one!" He had a smug, "I'm play teasing you" look on his face.

"Just get over here and help me."

He chuckled once more as he walked over and started to pull the strings. Again, I gasped with each newly tightened row.

"Whomever invented these must not have liked to breathe."

"No kidding. You're done."

I smiled at him as thanks, and walked back into the room. It was incredibly easy to slip into the dress compared to putting on the corset. It was hard to tell what I looked like in it without a mirror, but I could tell that the front was a bit low for my tastes, but not ridiculously low. There was nothing I could do about it, so I simply smiled and tossed it from my mind. Quietly, I slipped from the room and sat on the couch, proceeding to put on the royal blue heels with gold swirls left out for me. All in all, this was a very regal appearing outfit.

I leaned back against the couch for a moment, when Eddie's sketches caught my eyes again. I hadn't had a chance to look at them before. Eddie was at his desk, shuffling papers around, seemingly looking for something. I got up without a word, and silently made my way over to the sketches. Every sketch was done in a black pencil, with different shades to make the pictures seem real. The first were of his family. It was amazing! It was as if I could see each one's personality in the picture. Count Van's regal but kind demeanor. Countess Elizabeth's caring and wise facial expression made her seem friendly and approachable. Selene and Roseline both appeared happy, but in different forms. Selene's happy shone through completely, while Roseline's was a bit more controlled. It made me smile at how much care he put into that sketch.

I flipped through a couple of other loose sketches, mostly of Shadow and Starlight, or of the interior of the palace halls. But then a medium sized, black leather sketchbook caught my eye. It was on the floor by the easel, set apart from the rest. Gingerly I picked it up and pried open the cover. The binding creaked as I bent it. My jaw dropped and my eyes bulged at the sketches I saw. It was a picture of myself, asleep in my bed at the mansion! I was atop the black satin blanket, one hand near my face on the pillow and the other tossed off to the side. I remember the outfit I was in. the plain black t-shirt and blue jeans that I had was in the first day I had met Eddie. My face looked so tired. I myself hadn't realized how exhausted I was that night.

"You entranced me. I just couldn't help myself."

I jumped and turned around, not realizing that Eddie was the close or had even seen me look at the sketchbook.

"Eddie! I um…they're amazing sketches…but, um…"

"I never meant for you to see those sketches. You inspired me, so I drew. I just didn't want to scare you with them."

"You really do have a talent for drawing, it's just that I thought I was alone when…"

" You weren't. I understand if you're mad."

"You know, normally I would be, but I'm simply not. Does that make any sense? You didn't slip me something, did you?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

We laughed out loud, and I gave him a warm hug to show it didn't bother me too much. This stalking thing was old news and really wasn't important at the moment. Especially knowing what fueled it.

"Come, the trial will start in about an hour."

"How do you know?"

He pointed to his head. "Internal Clock. Kinda like a sun dial, but in my head."

We smiled at each other, but mine quickly faded when the reality of what we were headed for hit me. He must have noticed, for he placed his arms on my shoulders and peered into my eyes, his gaze full of concern.

"You're worried."

"No, I'm frightened. It scares me. It seems as if everything is being said and done without me. Now, in an hour, my fate is to be decided. I might end up with that bastard Mark! And I can do nothing to stop it! Do you know how powerless I feel?"

If I didn't feel any anxiety about the trial before, I sure as Hell felt it now. Erratic sobs began to wrack my body, and I could feel him envelop me in his arms. I rested my head on his broad chest, finding solace there.

"I'll do all I can to make sure this trial heads in our favor. Even if we loose, do you really think that I will willingly stand by and watch him claim you? Although I despise the Tepes's with all my being, Count Lucifer has a point. Vampires are predators, like a wolf. And like the wolf, we will protect what is ours."

His fingers pressed firmer into my shoulders, and I began to calm down in his cool embrace.

"I will fight 'till death consumes me."

I looked up at him, and I saw a feint fierceness in his eyes. I remembered that look. I had seen it in Shadow's eyes back when Eddie and Mark were fighting. I should be frightened of that look, but it was oddly comforting.

"Thank you."

My voice came out as a quavering whisper as I leaned up and gave him a soft kiss. I poured all of my gratitude, all my love, and my fear into that kiss. I pulled away, and wrapped my arms around his back, giving him the tightest hug I'd ever mustered. His hand went to the back of my head, and he kissed my forehead with just as much force as I'd hugged him. We simply stood there, holding each other for what seemed like an eternity. I could tell, neither of us wanted to go to that trial. Eddie was the one who eventually moved first. He gently pushed me away and held out his arm. I sighed, and grasped his arm. We couldn't stall any longer.

We walked out into the hall, and the sight which greeted us shocked me. Unlike the golden glow of the royal halls, which had shining white marble everywhere, these halls were made of wood, and a dull gray wood at that. There were cobwebs along the ceiling, and the faded red carpet was dusty and torn. I looked up at Eddie with curious eyes. He just kept on looking onward. Right as we turned a corner, he stopped right in front of a torn tapestry that seemed to flutter in an unseen draft. Eddie lifted it up, and a pitch-black tunnel lay behind it. I could barely even look maybe a foot into it, since there was no candles in the hallway behind us, nor any in that dank tunnel. Eddie had to put his arm around the back of my waist in order to lead me through. I couldn't even see Eddie's face close to mine as soon as the tapestry fell down behind us. As he led me, I felt my feet kicking things in the dark. If Eddie wasn't supporting me, I swear I would've tripped and landed flat on my face by now! I wondered how my face must've looked to him, since he could see. Lucky.

The tunnel seemed to go on forever in my head, but not long after we started walking, Eddie stopped. I couldn't see what he was doing, but a bright light suddenly filled the dank tunnel. My eyes instantly closed, and it took me a couple of seconds for them to adjust. But I saw gold colored walls, glowing candles, and rich tapestries adorning all available space. We were back in the royal halls! As we stepped out, I looked back behind me and memorized the tapestry that hid that secret passageway. It was of a heart, tangled in a web of briars. I vaguely wondered if it symbolized something, but Eddie had already started walking.

As we walked, I noticed that some of the decorations were familiar.  
We were close to the grand staircase. When we went around the last corner, just as I thought, we ended up right at the grand staircase. But we weren't alone. Selene and Roseline stood at the bottom of the right stairs, while, much to my dismay, Mark stood at the bottom of the left. All three of their heads snapped towards us at our arrival. Selene and Roseline quickly made their way toward us.

"Hello brother." They said in unison.

"Hey Selene. Hello Roseline." They both looked solemn, with their faces downcast.

"We can't really help. We're just there to be seen, being part of the royal bloodline and all. We weren't involved in the incident."

Roseline didn't mince words, but her tone said exactly what she thought. She wanted to be of some help, not just to sit and watch on the sidelines.

"This will turn out alright. We'll make it so."

Eddie's voice held such determination in it. Just hearing him speak lifted my spirits.

"Don't be a fool"

Our heads snapped to Mark, who had made his way behind Selene and Roseline without anyone noticing.

"You know damn well that there is hardly any chance of you winning this."

"Shut up Mark." Eddie's voice was much quieter, but it quivered with anger.

"It was my kill…"

"Shut it."

"She was alone…"

"Mark…"

"You hadn't staked a claim on her…"

"MARK!" Eddie suddenly burst with anger, and his voice boomed off the walls. He was quivering with fury now, and for the first time, I was frightened to stand next to him.

"Mark… I don't care how much evidence and support you have for your side…you will NOT have her!"

"If you loose, you won't have much of a say in that matter, now will you?"

Eddie lunged at him right then and there, but Selene and Roseline moved and held him back. Now was not the time for a struggle. It took both of their strength to hold him back, for he was pulling against them to get at Mark. Mark simply stood there and laughed at Eddie's fury.

I'd have enough of this. I was so tired of people making choices for me, and never even hearing me. Adrenaline, anger, defiance, and rebellion surged through my veins, and before anyone could foresee what I was going to do, I ran up to Mark and punched him in his face. He staggered back and held his hurt cheek, and stared at me in shock. I knew I hadn't hurt him, although I wished I did.

"Now you listen to me Mark. I am SO tired of you acting like the son of a bitch you are, thinking that you can have anything you want. I am NOT a prize to be won! Got it? And even if you do win, I will never give in to you! Do you hear me? NEVER you BASTARD! Now you need to shut that hole in your face and BACK OFF!"

Every one was still. Even Eddie was in shock. I was SO pissed off. I enjoyed the look of shock on Mark's face. Too bad it didn't last long though. Soon a face of pure fury came across his face, and he stood up, and took a few steps slowly towards me, his fangs bared and the rage emitting off of him. The rush I felt before which fuelled my punch quickly deserted me, with fear taking its place. His eyes were that terrifying

"I will teach you your place you insolent little…"

"That's enough Mark"

Count Lucifer and Count Van stood at the far end of the hall in front of the grand staircase. Their outfits hadn't changed from when I last saw them, except for a few things, like the way a vest buttoned up, or the design on their capes. The color scheme was still the same. They walked up to us, only to address us.

"Now is not the time to loose your tempers, all of you. Come, the trial will begin shortly."

Count Lucifer swiftly turned away and started heading out into the hallway, which lead out of the royal halls.

With a swish of his hand, Count Van signaled us to follow. But before we had taken a few steps, Count Van looked behind him at Mark.

"It's not like she truly hurt you Mark." With that, he caught up with Count Lucifer and matched his pace.

We all followed solemnly, except for Mark. He had quickly gotten over his rage, and calmed down some, although he still looked rather ticked off. Selene and Roseline followed ahead of us. Eddie walked by my side, but unlike before, I didn't hold on to his arm as etiquette required. Instead, we held each other's hand, our fingers interlocked. We spoke not a single word, but I could sense his worry and unease. I wished that I could quell it, but I felt the same. A knot of the unknown wound in my stomach. I felt as if I was walking into my own damnation or salvation. I desperately hoped it was the latter.

After a few hallways that I had failed to take notice of, we came upon a huge mahogany door. It towered above us, making me feel so insignificant compared to it. The Counts walked up to it, each one taking a handle, and pushed the two doors open at the same time, effortlessly.

I gasped as we strode in. The room was a huge dome, supported by connecting arched of white marble. The ceiling was painted red, with the crest I saw on Eddie's coffin enlarged upon its surface. There was an open space in the circle of waiting vampires, all whispering and mumbling to one another. The audience's seats curved up to the edges of the dome's roof. There were two sets of thrones off to the sides, each with smaller seats around them. They were made of a dark wood, and furnished with velvet cushions. The Counts took their places in them, with their brides at their sides. Selene and Roseline sat with their parents. A much larger throne sat in the center of the circle. Like the door, this one towered over the entire audience. It was made of the same dark wood as the Count's thrones, although this one was far more regal than both of theirs. Two tables sat in front of what was undoubtedly the judge's throne. Mark went and took his seat at the farthest table. I could have been mistaken, but he seemed anxious to have this started. Slowly, Eddie and I made our way and sat down at the other table, with me closest to the center. It wasn't long before the unnerving chatter from the ones behind me ceased to a blessed silence, but was replaced by a feeling of doom. As I watched a gray haired, wrinkled, limping old man make his way up the judges throne, I felt in my gut that something bad was coming. And my gut was usually right.

A young boy stood in the center, and gave a weak smile to Eddie. I looked over to Eddie, and he explained.

"That's Malakai, the royal messenger. Also one of my few friends here."

I nodded, to show I understood, and brought my attention back to Malakai, who had started to speak.

"This honorable vampire, Elder William, has chosen to give up his eternal youth in return for the wisdom of the ages, condemning himself to an eternity as a crippled old man. For his sacrifice, and with the knowledge he gained, he is the one to settle all disputes here between vampires, as it has always been. Now, he shall settle the dispute between the young Counts, Edward Vladamir Howl, and Markus Armand Tepes. They fight over the ownership of Kelly Rose Parker, a human. Now, Elder William, please begin."

After he had said all that he was required to say, he quickly left the open circle, back to the cover of the masses. Every breath taken in the room was held, waiting for the first move to be played.

The trial had begun.

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**Hope it was longer, to make up for the wait!**

** _KMD3271: _Sorry I didn't reply, somehow my e-mail didn't tell me. Anyway, good question! It made me stop and think for a while on its answer! The only explanation I could come up with would be that he knew Count Lucifer had a bit of a temper, add the trail and his son's desire of her, he would be smart enough not to injure her. If it lasted any longer than one or two seconds, he'd put a stopt it. But then tormenting his own son pushed him into action a little sooner. That's all I could come up with.(also, I really wanted Count Lucifer to have a chance to say what he does, and that seemed like a pretty good way to do it.) **


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